Chasing the Dream
by time2thrASH
Summary: As Misty literally watches her Gym fall down around her, she receives a visit from an old friend. With a new journey on the horizon, will she achieve everything she's ever dreamed of? (On Hiatus)
1. Introduction - Not Just Another Day

Chasing the Dream

(Formerly known as "Not Just Another Day")

Introduction

Misty sighed as she dangled her legs into the pool, musing over the day's events. She turned her head at the tell-tale sound of another wall collapsing, not even flinching as it slowly toppled backwards.

She didn't have to worry too much. The ceiling was already utterly destroyed; the twisted masonry and metal littered the surrounding area. The starry sky was now clearly visible to the young woman as she looked up.

Zekrom and Zapdos had certainly caused quite a ruckus in the skies of Cerulean city. No-one, not even Professor Oak, had any clue as to what had set the two off, or even what Zekrom was doing so far from its own region. Whatever the reason, the two had certainly caused plenty of devastation. The two legendary Pokémon had started their feuding at the nearby power plant, but not managed to contain themselves.

Soon enough, nearby flying types and air traffic soon found themselves in the line of fire. A Boeing 747 had made an emergency crash landing in the city square, missing the Pokémon centre by just a few feet. Thanks to a young dragon trainer and her Dragonite, no lives on the flight had been lost.

Jumbo jets hurtling from the sky had merely been the warm-up, however. Armoured vehicles began pouring into town, each with a giant red 'R' painted on the side. Team Rocket had never been ones for subtlety. Missile batteries mounted on the top of the trucks then started to unleash heat seeking missiles in an attempt to trap the legendaries.

Of course, like any plan engineered by Team Rocket, there was a flaw. Zapdos and Zekrom began to take evasive manoeuvres, using the objects of the Cerulean city skyline for cover. Missiles began tearing into people's homes, skyscrapers both residential and corporate, statues, trees…

She and Gyarados had been out fighting Team Rocket when it happened. She and the grunts had stopped fighting and watched in awe as the Dragonite steered the ailing aeroplane overhead to relative safety.

Out of nowhere, Misty had found herself knocked to the ground in a tackle. Somewhat scared, she angrily heaved her assailant off her, only to find something she didn't expect.

* * *

"_ASH!?" Misty gasped._

_Wordlessly, Ash scurried to his feet and dragged her roughly across the concrete._

"_ASH!" Misty yelled, annoyed. "What the hell are you-!?"_

_She was cut off by the bright flash of flaming aeroplane fuselage that smashed into the space they had occupied mere seconds ago._

"_Actually, never mind." Misty replied, shielding her eyes with her forearm._

"_Gyarados, Hyper Beam!" Ash yelled, pointing at the grunts. Surprised, Gyarados complied anyway, blowing up the grunts truck and mounted missile battery, sending the nearby grunts flying, hitting the ground unconscious._

"_Ash, don't order my Poké-" Misty began, cut off by the ground shaking next to her. Turning her head to the side, she was shocked to see Ash's Charizard flapping its wings, roaring at the sky._

"_Charizard, you made it!" Ash grinned._

_Charizard roared affirmatively, hunching down to allow its old master to climb onto its back. Ash hurried over to the Pokémon, settling himself down. Charizard stood tall, spreading its wings, preparing to launch off into the sky._

"_Nice to see you Misty." Ash smiled, looking at the prone gym leader for the first time._

_With that, Charizard lifted off, shooting towards the blanket of lightning spreading out over the clouds._

* * *

Looking at the sky, Misty noted the orange flickering edging the starlight as Cerulean city continued to burn. The legendaries had ended their battle, and Team Rocket chased out of town, but there had been no sign of Ash or Charizard since the battle ended twenty minutes ago.

A thud reverberated around the building, sending ripples out across the water.

"Knock, knock."

Misty craned her head around to the hole in the wall, not bothering to lift her legs out of the pool.

Ash Ketchum stood sheepishly surveying the damage to the Gym. Pikachu was held tightly in his arms, and Charizard was stood imperiously behind him.

"Thanks buddy." Ash smiled, turning to the dragon. "I'll come and visit before I head back to Unova."

Charizard roared appreciatively and flapped his wings, jumping off and soaring into the sky, headed back to Johto.

Pikachu leapt out of Ash's arms, bounding over what remained of the wall and racing towards Misty.

"Hey Pikachu!" Misty smiled, her arms outstretched. The electric mouse jumped into her arms, giving her a friendly weak jolt of electricity as he did so. "I've missed you too Pikachu!" Misty confirmed, cuddling him tightly.

She looked back at Ash. He was busy removing his shoes and socks and rolling up his jeans.

"You know, if you're worried about tracking in mud, that ship has sailed." Misty remarked dryly.

Ash smiled back at her wryly, crossing over to her and taking a seat next to her, dipping his own legs into the pool. As he settled down, he sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry about the Gym." He said by way of greeting, taking in the devastation.

"It's not so bad." Misty replied, kissing the top of Pikachu's head and cuddling him affectionately.

"Misty… there's a ceiling where your pool should be." Ash pointed out.

"People lost their homes tonight." Misty said quietly. "Maybe even their lives, we don't know yet."

"I guess you're right." Ash nodded slowly. The two stayed in companionable silence.

"You know, it's been-" Misty began.

"Four years." Ash replied, cutting the gym leader off. "I know."

"You saved my life tonight." Misty noted.

"Well, you saved mine enough times." Ash replied.

"The Ash I know wouldn't ever admit that!" Misty joked, humour only just creeping in.

"The Ash you know wouldn't be playing footsie with a girl." Ash replied.

Misty looked into the water. Sure enough, her foot was indeed resting atop his in the water.

"Sorry!" Misty blushed, jerking her foot away, shuffling along and putting some space between them.

"Why?" Ash asked simply, his eyebrow raised in confusion. "I think best friends are allowed to make casual foot-to-foot contact underwater."

Misty shuffled back to his side, confused yet welcoming of the change in the young trainer. Cautiously, she decided to bite the bullet.

"You won't mind this then." She sighed, resting her head on his shoulder, cuddling into his side.

She felt Ash tense for a moment, then relax. Tentatively, he extended an arm around her, bringing his hand to rest on her waist.

"Cuddling with a Pokémon master… I never thought this day would come." Misty sighed, flinching as another girder splashed into the pool.

* * *

"Are the Pokémon OK?" Ash asked. "Your sisters?"

"The Pokémon were recalled into their Pokéballs." Misty explained. "Emergency system. Luckily, I had Gyarados with me to fight Team Rocket, and Azurill is at Oak's lab."

"Your sisters?" Ash repeated.

"Oh, I don't care about them." Misty chuckled. Peering up at the look on Ash's face, she relented. "They're on a cruise around Hoenn."

"Ah." Ash nodded. "Going to be quite a homecoming."

"There won't be a home to come back to." Misty countered quickly. "I don't suppose you've got any details?"

"Erm. Unova, wormhole, Zekrom. We followed, Team Rocket plan, blah blah blah." Ash replied, not very interested. "I'm sure various professors will be talking about it for decades."

"What am I going to do?" Misty sighed, relaxing further into the trainer's embrace. "My hometown's in ruins, my gym's been torn to shreds." She held back a sob as tears started to roll down her face.

"Your Pokémon are safe, you're safe. That's all that matters to me." Ash soothed her, moving his hand from her waist to stroke her hair.

"But it's my job to protect the gym, protect Cerulean!" Misty sobbed, clenching her fists. Pikachu jumped into Ash's lap, expecting a tantrum. "I failed them!"

Ash quickly ushered Pikachu onto his shoulder and wrapped his free arm around Misty's shaking shoulders, pulling her into a hug. As she cried into his shoulder, Pikachu patted her head awkwardly.

"A gym leader is supposed to protect against the odd rampaging Pokémon and belligerent trainers, not warring legendaries and a mercenary army." Ash replied. "It's not your fault."

"But everything I've built here…"

"You can build again." Ash cut her off. "I'll be with you all the way."

"Really?" Misty asked sceptically. "I get a few phone calls and letters from you in the last four years, and suddenly you're offering to drop everything?"

"Well," Ash began, "you didn't need me before."

"I always needed you." Misty sighed, wiping her eyes and extricating herself from the embrace. The two shared a few more moments of silence.

* * *

"Come on." Ash decided. "Let's hook up with Iris and Cilan and head to Pallet. My mom will be worried sick."

He stood up and offered Misty his hand. She grasped it firmly and he heaved her to her feet.

"You never used to think about your mom being worried." Misty said slyly. "Have you had some kind of emotional breakthrough?"

"She'll be worried about you, not me." Ash clarified. "She doesn't even know I'm in Kanto."

Once they had put on their shoes and socks, they stepped over the ruined wall and came face to face with Iris and Cilan.

"Hi!" Iris smiled brightly. "You must be Misty! I'm Iris."

"That's me. It's nice to meet you." Misty replied politely. "Wait, didn't I see you and a Dragonite land a plane tonight?!"

"I'm not sure land is the most appropriate word." Cilan replied under his breath.

"Like you could have done any better!" Iris replied incredulously, stalking off in the direction of the city outskirts.

"My apologies Iris!" Cilan yelled as he ran after her. "You were very brave!"

"Well, that's Iris and Cilan." Ash confirmed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"They seem nice." Misty smiled. "I'll call my sisters when we get to your mom's."

The two began walking slowly after Iris and Cilan.

"Misty?" Ash asked as they set off.

"Yeah?" The gym leader replied.

"You do know that you're holding my hand?" He asked, genuinely unsure.

"Yep." Misty replied simply.

"OK." Ash shrugged, squeezing the hand in his palm reassuringly.

With that, the two set off for Pallet town.

* * *

_A/N: My first Pokémon oneshot. Lacking in plot, serious character development and generally I'm not all too happy with it, but I did kind of enjoy writing it._

_A/N2: No longer a oneshot!  
_


	2. Chapter 1

Chasing the Dream

Chapter One

"_-ongoing chaos in Cerulean city seems to have died down. This reporter has learned that legendary Pokémon Zapdos was seen retreating to the nearby power plant after the sudden disappearance of its opponent, Zekrom. Eyewitness reports indicate that prior to the arrival of Lance, Kanto-born trainer Ash Ketchum engaged the two legendary Pokémon in an aerial battle alongside a Charizard."_

"_And is there any more news on Cerulean Gym?"_

"_The Cerulean leader, Misty, was spotted leaving the city last night with Ketchum, that has been confirmed. The gym itself was ruined during the crash landing of the aircraft, indeed half of the tail appears to have fallen through the roof as you can see behind me."_

"_And any word as yet on how she was defeated so utterly? She is, after all, the first line of defence for the residents of-"_

"Turn that off Misty." Ash admonished the gym leader as he flopped down onto the sofa next to her. "They're just trying to cause trouble."

"I know." Misty sighed, turning the TV off. "But surely there's some truth to what they're saying?"

"We talked about this last night." Ash shook his head. "You're not an elite. The only one who had the responsibility to turn up was Lance, and he did."

As soon as the group made it to the Ketchum residence in the early hours of the morning, they had explained the situation, in a rather heavily-edited fashion, to Delia and retired for the evening. Ash had quickly informed Iris and Cilan of his intention to postpone his adventures in Unova until Misty was in a better situation. The two decided that they would get the first flight back to their home region rather than wait around.

That left Misty and Ash pondering the immediate future.

"I've been thinking…" Ash began.

"Prepare for trouble…" Misty murmured sarcastically.

"Very funny." Ash replied with a frown. "Anyway, I was thinking, maybe the Cerulean gym isn't something you need to rebuild with bricks and mortar?"

"… I see." Misty lied. "What do you suggest? Lego? Pokéblocks?"

"Well," Ash replied, ignoring her, "what's your one dream? The thing you've been saying you were going to become ever since we met?"

"A water Pokémon master?" Misty replied, suddenly interested.

"Exactly. And what's my dream?" He asked.

"To become a Pokémon master?" Misty replied.

"Right again." Ash smiled. "And don't you think there's a bit of an overlap between those two dreams?"

"Well yeah." Misty shrugged. "I suppose you would have to be a water Pokémon master before you could be a Pokémon master overall."

"Right, so, why don't you and I work on that together?" Ash beamed, happy that Misty was following his train of thought.

"Well it's a nice idea Ash." Misty smiled weakly. "But what does that have to do with rebuilding my gym?"

"It's clearly not just the gym that needs rebuilding." Ash frowned. "If you feel like you failed the people of Cerulean - which I don't think is true by the way – then wouldn't you be more confident in returning there a newly crowned water Pokémon master?"

Misty let the idea sink in. The more she thought about it, the more the smile on her face grew.

"I'm listening." The redhead announced, locking eyes with Ash. "Tell me more."

* * *

"That would be an ambitious undertaking indeed." Professor Oak mused, cradling his teacup.

"Any more ambitious than my dream of becoming a Pokémon master?" Ash replied.

"Oh my dear boy." The Professor chuckled. "You're still aiming that high?"

"Well, yeah." Ash replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I know I've been a bit… obsessed… with champion status recently, but I really think I should get back to the root of what training is all about."

"Besides," Misty jumped in, placing her own teacup down on the small coffee table, "wouldn't it help your research to have every type of water Pokémon available to you on your reserve?"

Oak was quiet for what seemed like a long time.

"Counter-proposal." Oak replied suddenly, gently placing his own teacup down and scooting to the edge of his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. Misty and Ash looked at each other and nodded.

"We're listening." They replied in unison.

Oak smiled at the two. Delia was so right about them.

"You share ownership of the water Pokémon you catch." Oak said quietly, awaiting their reaction.

"Any reason?" Misty asked.

"Several." Oak nodded. "Discounting the water forms of Rotom and Castform, there are… fifty-nine fully evolved water Pokémon, with the exception of Surskit, which loses its typing through evolution. Among those fifty-nine, there are four legendaries - Keldeo, Kyogre, Suicune and Palkia – and incredibly rare Pokémon like Relicanth, who shouldn't be removed from their environment in great numbers anyway. There are also problems in regard to Kabutops and Omastar, don't you agree?"

The two teens sat quietly, blown away both by Oak's knowledge of the world of Pokémon and the problems he pointed out.

"So…" Misty ventured. "We _could_ catch and keep those Pokémon, but only if we share."

"My reserve couldn't handle fifty-nine water types at once, never mind one hundred and eighteen." Oak shook his head. "We'd have to store many of them at your gym once it is repaired and swap them as and when necessary. I could store them all in the short-term, though."

"I understand." Misty nodded.

"So do I." Ash replied. "I don't want to catch Pokémon if it means they're all cramped up here at the reserve."

"Isn't sharing Pokémon disallowed though?" Ash mused.

"The rule was quietly waived recently." Oak replied, shaking his head. "Once the league figured out that people, married couples for instance, could share ownership by trading backwards and forwards all the time anyway, they relented. It also makes things easier in the event of a trainer's death."

"I don't even want to think about that." Misty shuddered. "So, are you up for sharing your water types Ash?"

She turned to the male trainer, but he had suddenly gone quiet, deep in thought.

"Ash?" Misty prompted again, concerned.

"Professor, could you do this for any Pokémon?" Ash asked, ignoring the girl.

"Certainly." Oak nodded.

"Hey, I'm talking to you mister!" Misty fumed.

"Sorry Misty." Ash smiled sadly. "Pikachu, you know what I'm thinking, right?" Ash asked the electric type, who had been obediently perched on his shoulder throughout the exchange.

"_Pi._"The mouse nodded, suddenly leaping onto Misty's lap.

"If anything happened to me-" Ash began.

"Don't even start thinking like that Ash." Misty warned, sensing his direction.

"I'd want Pikachu to stay with you." Ash finished. "More importantly, Pikachu wants that too."

Misty looked down at the Pokémon in her lap, who looked up at her cheerily.

"I'd like that Pikachu." Misty smiled softly, stroking one of the Pokémon's ears affectionately.

The silence was broken by a strangled choking sound. The two teens looked up at the Professor, who was awkwardly trying to hide his head in his lab coat.

"Are you… crying?" Ash asked the older man incredulously.

"N-no." Oak replied, wiping his eyes. "My tea was too hot!"

Ash and Misty glanced at his still-empty cup on the table.

"Whatever, let's go and sort out the paperwork." Ash replied, shaking his head.

* * *

"Right, let's make a plan." Misty announced as the two walked down the path back to the Ketchum residence.

"OK. Kanto." Ash nodded. "How many fully evolved water types?"

"Well, there's Blastoise." Misty began.

"And the Professor was kind enough to give us a head-start there." Ash grinned, glancing at the Pokéball containing the new Squirtle attached to Misty's hip.

"Indeed he was." Misty grinned in return. "So Blastoise… Golduck, Poliwrath, Politoed, Tentacruel, Slowbro, Dewgong, Cloyster, Kingler, Seaking, Starmie, Gyarados, Lapras and Vaporeon." She rattled the list off, counting on her fingers.

"Impressive, but you forgot Omastar and Kabutops." Ash replied, his smile stretching even further.

"They're extinct, it's not as if you see them every day!" Misty replied, playfully slapping him on the shoulder.

"Anyway, a nice gentle start." Ash nodded in recognition. "No legendaries, four water stone evolutions."

"And we already have Politoed, Starmie, Goldeen, Gyarados and Kingler." Misty added.

"But, if we're playing by the rules, you need a Krabby." Ash noted. "And I need Poliwag, Staryu and Magikarp. Also, you seem to have forgotten that you already have a Psyduck."

"Oh, I've not forgotten Psyduck…" Misty sighed, looking down at his Pokéball. "I was thinking you could train him and my Staryu while we travel."

"Cool." Ash smiled brightly. "I guess they are _our_ Pokémon after all."

"You won't be smiling so much when you've been training Psyduck for more than twenty minutes." Misty laughed.

* * *

"So, where are you kids headed?" Delia asked as the three sat around the kitchen table, Ash and Misty savouring the last true meal they might have in a while.

"We're heading straight to Cinnabar for supplies…" Misty replied slowly, watching in some horror as Ash inhaled large quantities of his food. "Then to the Seafoam Islands. We can do a lot of our Kanto-based stuff there."

"Oh, your first trip as boyfriend and girlfriend!" Delia exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight.

Ash immediately started to hack and cough as he choked on the food flying into his mouth. Rolling her eyes, Misty smacked him hard on the back, dislodging the obstruction in his windpipe.

"Thanks Misty." Ash gasped. "What are you talking about Mom?!"

"Well, the way you two strolled in here this morning holding hands…" Delia explained, confused.

The two teenagers babbled over each other, trying to explain.

"Never mind…" Delia sighed, seemingly giving up. "Just when I thought you'd gained some emotional maturity Ash…"

"Hey, I am mature!" Ash replied indignantly. "I was being polite by holding hands!"

"Polite!?" Misty and Delia exploded simultaneously.

"You mean you didn't want to hold hands with me anyway!?" Misty gasped.

"No, no of course I did!" Ash replied quickly. "It's just…"

"WHAT!?" Misty dared him.

"It's been four years since we've really spent any time together." Ash finished softly. "And in the last twenty-four hours your gym, and your home, have been destroyed. Your hometown is barely recognisable. You nearly got crushed by aeroplane wreckage. And now, with almost no prior notice, you're setting off on a whole new adventure. It's a lot for both of us to take in."

Misty and Delia were both quiet.

"You're right Ash." Misty relented, settling back into her chair. "It's been crazy. I've still not taken it all in. I guess you're right, it's not really the time to start a relationship of any kind."

"NO!" Ash replied, his face suddenly falling. Delia and Misty looked shocked by his outburst. "I mean, erm, I wouldn't say that." He corrected sheepishly.

The table was quiet for a minute. Delia took a deep breath.

"Well, it's certainly going to be an interesting journey…" She remarked quietly, starting to clear the table. "Dessert anyone?"

* * *

_A/N: Decided to expand on the oneshot that now forms the introduction. This should still be pretty short overall, but I'm enjoying writing it so it doesn't matter!  
_

_In my canon, Ash and Misty are around 16/17. Doesn't matter too much in the context of this particular story, it's rated T for a reason.  
_


	3. Chapter 2

Chasing the Dream

Chapter Two

"Squirtle, water gun!" Ash commanded enthusiastically.

The tinyturtle Pokémon stared up at its trainer with wide unblinking eyes, confusion written on its face.

"Squirtle learn to blow bubbles first…" Misty piped up. She and Pikachu were leaning against a fence, catching their breath from the walk. That morning, they had picked up Azurill from Oak's lab, and now had only Pikachu, Squirtle and Gyarados with them.

The gang were currently overlooking the sea south of Pallet town, steeling themselves for the journey to the island just visible on the horizon.

"Oh." Ash commented blankly. "But my last Squirtle-"

"Was much older when you encountered him for the first time." Misty reminded him.

"Hmm…" Ash mused. "OK Squirtle, how about a good old-fashioned tackle attack?"

Squirtle brightened up at the more familiar command. He leapt backwards to give himself room to sprint, then charged headlong into the nearby fencepost. Ash and Misty winced as the small Pokémon made contact with the much larger block of wood.

"Fencepost used 'Do Nothing'." Ash commented dryly.

Squirtle was sat on the grass, seeing stars and rubbing its head.

"It's super effective…" Misty frowned, bending down to pick up the over-eager young Pokémon. She rubbed his head soothingly. "That was very silly Squirtle." She chided him. "Fence posts aren't for battling."

She set the Pokémon down and straightened herself up, ready to go to the beach and proceed with their journey. Pikachu instantly fell into step with Squirtle, striking up a conversation with the younger water-type.

"How long will it take to get to Cinnabar on Gyarados?" Ash queried as the group began walking.

"About an hour." Misty guessed. "It's a nice clear day at least."

* * *

While Misty sat expertly perched astride Gyarados' crest, Ash and Pikachu sat on the dragon's tail. Misty had Squirtle in her lap, attempting to convince the Pokémon to blow some bubbles, while Ash and Pikachu sat, more than a little bored.

Pikachu was keeping an eye on Azurill, allowing the baby Pokémon to play with its tail. Ash, however, had decided to entertain himself the same way he had those many hours sat on Lapras' back surfing around the Orange Islands; counting Tentacool.

"Five hundred and twelve…" The trainer sighed. "Five hundred and thirteen, five hundred and fourteen, five hundred and… Oh My God! Gyarados, stop! Misty, get down here!"

Misty leapt over the now stationary Pokémon's head, holding Squirtle tightly to her chest as she ran down Gyarados' back.

"What is it?" She asked expectantly.

"Do you see what I see?" Ash asked, pointing at a spot in the ocean.

"I don't see any-" Misty began, but stopped herself. "Oh wow…"

Bobbing up and down on the surface of the water was a Tentacool. Not an unexpected phenomenon along this route, but there was something unexpected about it. Where most Tentacool were sky blue, this one was lilac, and instead of ruby red circles, it was adorned with circles of emerald green.

"It's got different pigmentation, like your Noctowl!" Misty gasped.

"Pikachu, thunder wave!" Ash commanded, wasting no time.

The electric mouse nodded, generating a weak static field around itself and launching a single, weak lightning bolt at the unsuspecting water-type. The jellyfish flailed its tentacles in alarm as paralysis set in.

"Nice work Ash." Misty complimented. "I'll take it from here. Squirtle, let's go, tackle attack!"

Squirtle leapt out of Misty's arms and dived flawlessly into the ocean. Ash and Misty watched with nervous anticipation as bubbles surfaced closer and closer to the Tentacool. With a splash, Squirtle leapt into the air and dived headfirst onto the stricken jellyfish, smacking them both underwater.

The group waited for what seemed like forever, but what surfaced wasn't what they were hoping for.

An enraged Tentacool emerged holding Squirtle aloft, trapped in its tentacles. Worse, it was firing poison stings in the vulnerable Pokémon's face.

"Squirtle, no!" Misty gasped.

At the distraught look on the girl's face, Ash stepped in.

"Squirtle, withdraw, now!" Ash boomed across the water.

The turtle withdrew its head and limbs into his shell, though it was still held aloft by the jellyfish.

"Well?" Ash queried, with a sidelong glance at Misty. The girl was still speechless, horrified by the severity of Tentacool's attack.

"Squirtle, start moving around as fast as you can!" Ash commanded.

The shell began to wriggle from side to side, but still didn't budge.

"Squirtle, keeping moving in one direction!" Ash corrected, hoping the plan would work. Sure enough, the torque soon became too much for Tentacool's tentacles, and the jellyfish mishandled the shell, losing its grip, and sent the shell spiralling off into the air.

"Well done Squirtle, that's a rapid spin attack!" Ash cheered. "Now rapid spin right back at Tentacool!"

The shell froze in midair, then started rotating in the opposite direction, slowly gaining speed, then flying back at Tentacool, scoring a direct hit right in the centre of the jellyfish's face. The jellyfish reeled from the blow as Squirtle's shell noisily splashed back into the water.

Misty looked to Ash's side as the audible digital whine heralded the expansion of a Pokéball. Without a second thought, Ash lobbed the device in the Tentacool's direction, grinning as the Pokémon was turned into red light and sucked inside.

The Pokéball immediately sank, and no Tentacool resurfaced, so Ash assumed the capture was successful. Soon enough, Squirtle emerged next to Gyarados, balancing the Pokéball on its shell.

"Squirtle, you were amazing!" Ash congratulated the Pokémon, grabbing the ball with one hand and the turtle with the other, heaving both back onto Gyarados' back.

"_Squirt…"_ The Pokémon gasped for breath. It was a much paler blue than usual, and looked unsteady on its feet.

"That poison sting did a number on you, huh?" Ash guessed aloud. He turned to Azurill, picking up the baby Pokémon and holding her in front of Squirtle. Azurill chirped happily, and placed the ball of her tail on Squirtle's forehead, curing Squirtle's poison status with a sparkle.

"Refresh… of course." Misty whispered under her breath.

Ash stroked the baby Pokémon's head affectionately.

"Good work!" He smiled, placing her back down next to Pikachu, who also patted her head.

"Feeling better?" Ash asked the turtle.

"_Squirtle!"_ The Pokémon nodded confidently, proud to have done well in its battle.

"And just what happened to you?" Ash queried, rounding on Misty.

The girl was quiet for a moment, embarrassed at her failure.

"I… I was thinking of Squirtle as a baby." She admitted.

"Then why did you send him out in the first place?" Ash asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I was confident again, just like before, but the second the battle didn't go my way…" She trailed off.

"It brought things back, I get it." Ash nodded sympathetically.

"No, you don't." Misty replied sadly. "You caught the wild Pokémon, cleared up my mess and cured Squirtle using only what you had with you. That's why you're the Pokémon Master, and I'm the one who can't do anything right anymore."

Before Ash could respond, Misty had proceeded to Gyarados' crest once more, and sat alone, staring at Cinnabar Island in the distance.

She left a very worried Ash behind her.

* * *

_A/N: Short chapter, but more to come._


	4. Chapter 3

Chasing the Dream

Chapter Three

It had been two days since Ash and Misty had set foot on Cinnabar Island. The original plan had been to spend a single night in the Pokémon centre, restock in the beachfront trainer shops and head straight for the Seafoam Islands.

Things had not gone according to the plan, but Ash wasn't too concerned. His concern for his travelling companion had compelled him to make the suggestion that the sunny beachfront would be an ideal location for a mini-break. Misty had seemed to lift from her depressed state slightly at the idea, and decided to head to the hot springs for a day of pampering and relaxation, and Pikachu had scampered after her obediently.

This suited Ash just fine. Pikachu and Misty had always gotten along, and this 'Water type Master' business meant that Ash needed to focus on catching Misty up in terms of training. As such, he had taken Gyarados, Squirtle and Tentacool for a marathon training and battle session on the beach.

Ash was currently standing atop of Gyarados, directing the flow of the battle he found himself in. He had purposely irritated a group of Krabby wandering along the beach, and now Tentacool and Squirtle were engaged in a six-on-two battle. The configuration was interesting to say the least. Squirtle fought the Krabby at close range on the beach, while Tentacool bobbed up and down in the surf, providing support at long range.

The two Pokémon were different in many ways besides their species. Ash had sussed Squirtle out the second the boisterous youngster had charged headfirst into a fencepost. Squirtle liked to get well into the fight, and was a very physical combatant. Misty had successfully taught Squirtle to use its bubble attack, but the water-type was unenthusiastic at best. His moves of choice were bite, rapid spin and a good old-fashioned tackle.

Tentacool on the other hand hated getting up close. Wrap and constrict were last resorts. Despite how hard it had fought to resist capture, it didn't seem at all bothered about being a trainer's Pokémon. Ash had been working with the jellyfish on its accuracy at range, and poison sting, supersonic and bubblebeam were coming together nicely. Whenever one of Squirtle's combatants got too close, Tentacool would pick them off, using the three moves in rotation.

"Squirtle, rapid spin in the sand!" Ash commanded.

The tiny turtle Pokémon obeyed instantly, withdrawing into its shell. The shell then began to spin, kicking up a plume of sand in all directions, showering the Krabby surrounding him.

As the Krabby raised their claws in front of their eyes, Squirtle took the opportunity to leap into the air and launch into one of them with a flying tackle, pounding the crab into the sand, knocking it out of the battle.

"Nice job! Now keep at it!" Ash cheered.

Just as a Krabby was about to land a vicegrip on Squirtle's exposed tail, Tentacool spotted it and launched a supersonic wave. The Krabby stopped as its eyes changed, then rounded on one of its own, and the two crabs began duelling their way up the beach.

"Took out two at once, nicely done Tentacool!" Ash beamed in the direction of the floating Pokémon. Tentacool waved a tentacle in its trainer's direction. It was difficult to tell whether the jellyfish was ever being friendly or not, but Ash decided to proceed in all his interactions with the newcomer positively.

Squirtle almost seemed bored only fighting three opponents. Without waiting for a command he used his rapid spin to kick up sand again, then quickly grabbed one of the Krabby by the legs.

"What the…" Ash whispered to himself. Squirtle had elected to whirl the Krabby around for a bit, then start smashing it into the other two one after the other. Ash recalled seeing a toddler on the beach abusing a teddy bear in a similar fashion mid-tantrum.

"I think they've had enough Squirtle." Ash commented dryly, noting all three Krabby had been knocked out after the first few hits. Squritle looked at the Krabby in its hands and dropped it on the beach unceremoniously, stretching out and yawning before popping into his shell for a snooze.

"You know guys, I really think we should keep an eye on him." Ash mumbled.

"Hey you!" A voice called from the beach. Ash looked around from his vantage point atop Gyarados. A girl on the beach was waving, trying to catch his attention.

"Uh… hi?" Ash replied, shouting so he could be heard. "Do I know you?"

"No, but you will!" She shouted back, flipping her long black hair over her shoulder and winking at the young man. "I challenge you to a battle!"

* * *

Misty sighed as she sank slowly into the hot water, almost feeling the pressures and tensions of the last week disappearing with the steam. She was glad to be alone, away from the legions of camera-toting tourists. Luckily, dropping Blaine's name had allowed her to slip into the VIP section.

Azurill was bobbing about in the water, playing with its tail. Pikachu was curled up on the hot towel Misty had brought with her and perched next to the bath. His soft, barely audible snores were very comforting.

"The perks of being a Kanto gym leader…" Misty sighed as she tilted her head back.

"Tell me about it." A voice replied across the cave.

Misty's eyes shot open as she registered the second voice. A man with short white hair and a horrendous Hawaiian shirt was leaning against the rock wall of the cavern, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Hello Blaine." Misty smiled. "How are you? How did you know I was here?"

"I'm well, and I was told by an attendant that you had dropped my name to get in here." He replied, approaching the edge of the rock edge of the bath, leaning on it casually.

Misty had always liked Blaine. Once you got to know him, he dropped all the riddles and mysticism and was a very friendly, wise and informative gym leader. The two were always sure to meet up at various functions and meetings at the Indigo Plateau.

"Sorry about that." Misty smiled sheepishly. "I just didn't want a load of questions from the tourists. I'm trying to keep a low profile."

"It's no bother." Blaine replied, dismissing her apology with a wave of his hand. "I saw what happened on the news. I'm sorry."

"I suppose losing a gym is a fact of life for a guy who bases his in a volcano." Misty joked lamely.

"True, I might be better prepared to handle it." Blaine smiled. "But – I'd be no better at fending off an attacking mercenary army." He assured her.

"Blaine, I know you mean well, but I'm really sick of hearing about how I didn't stand a chance against Team Rocket. It's not doing my ego much good." Misty snapped.

Blaine paused, considering his response.

"OK." He relented. "We'll let the matter rest… for now. What's happening with the gym?"

"For once my sisters have pulled through." Misty replied. "They messaged me a few days ago, saying they were coming back to redesign the gym. They're positively ecstatic at our childhood home being annihilated." She added sarcastically.

"I'm sure that's not true." Blaine mused. "But those three being more involved at least takes a bit of stress off your shoulders. Sam said you were on your way to the Seafoam Islands on some kind of Master Quest."

"Sam?" Misty wondered aloud. "Oh, Professor Oak! Yeah, it's Ash's idea. He thinks being a water Pokémon master will restore my confidence once the gym's rebuilt."

"That's quite an undertaking." Blaine replied. "Will the rebuild really take that long?"

"Maybe." Misty shrugged. "Daisy said they've not even met with an architect yet."

"Well, I wish you and them luck." Blaine offered. "I needed to speak to you about the Seafoam thing though."

"Really?" Misty asked. "What's up?"

"Something odd has being going on down there." Blaine lowered his voice conspiratorially. "It's perhaps the worst kept secret in southern Kanto that an Articuno is nesting there."

"It never made sense to me that a bird would nest in deep dark caves." Misty wondered aloud.

"True, but that's not the odd part." Blaine continued. "About two weeks ago, Articuno went crazy, and encased all the islands in ice. No-one can get in or out."

"Oh my goodness." Misty gasped. "Do we know why?"

"No." Blaine shook his head. "But something is very wrong. Our best guess was that some kind of psychic, dark or ghost type is responsible, and has coerced Articuno somehow."

"What's the plan?" Misty asked, intrigued.

"Due to the type of Pokemon we thought was responsible, we sent Sabrina to investigate… We dropped her off a week ago, and have had no radio contact since." Blaine replied solemnly. "I'm not too concerned. She's very capable. I just didn't think it would take so long."

"Ash and I were going to stay here for a few more days, but we're completely ready to go." Misty stated confidently.

"Glad to hear it." Blaine replied. "You'll need more gear than you think though, you need to scale the dome. The only way in is Articuno's entrance at the very top."

"Ash is down training at the beach." Misty replied. "Let's go find him."

* * *

"My name is Geri." The girl smiled, shaking Ash's hand.

"I'm Ash." He responded. "Pleased to meet you."

Geri was about the same height as Ash, with long black hair. She was wearing a very attractive two-piece swimsuit, but the only thing Ash was interested in were the Pokéballs attached to her belt. Some things never change.

"3-on-3?" Geri asked.

"Sounds good." Ash replied, walking away. Once he reached a suitable distance, he turned around to face her. "Squirtle, nap time's over!"

Squirtle bounded in front of Ash enthusiastically, ready for battle.

"Makuhita, let's play!" Geri yelled joyfully, throwing a Pokéball into the makeshift battlefield.

"This will be a three-on-three match, with no substitutions. Three Pokémon must be used in total by each trainer." Ash shouted across to Geri.

"Understood!" Geri replied. "Now, Makuhita, force palm!"

"Squirtle, withdraw!" Ash commanded.

As Squirtle withdrew into his shell, Makuhita's palm made contact, batting the shell along the beach like a volleyball. As the shell bounced into the sand and skidded to a halt, Squirtle popped out and rose shakily to his feet.

"Are you OK?" Ash called. "Shake it off if you can!"

Squirtle dropped to all fours, trying to re-gather itself.

"Don't give it the recovery time!" Geri called out. "Hit it with another force palm!"

Makuhita was too quick for Squirtle or Ash, and made contact instantly, knocking Squirtle out cold.

"Squirtle is unable to battle." Geri called.

"Agreed, you win round one!" Ash called, recalling Squirtle into his Pokéball. "It's OK buddy, you took a bad hit at the very beginning, that's rough." He whispered into the Pokéball.

"Nice job Makuhita!" Geri called, returning the fighting type. "Tangela, you're up!"

"Would you be OK with your Tangela fighting in the shallow part of the sea?" Ash asked.

"Erm… sure." Geri replied. The three walked down the beach to the sea. Tangela looked at the waves a bit unsure, but happily jumped in after a few moments.

"Let's go Tentacool!" Ash commanded, taking his place atop Gyarados once more.

"Nice colouring! Anyway, Tangela, let's start with ancientpower!" Geri shouted confidently.

"Dive." Ash countered quickly, watching Tentacool slip under the surface.

"Fire into the water, we may still hit it!" Geri commanded.

Tangela obeyed, but still missed.

"Tentacool, acid!" Ash yelled. A split-second later, a stream of purple liquid shot out of the water and struck the grass type squarely, knocking it off its feet.

Tangela hurriedly washed itself off in the surf, but the super effective move was taking its toll as Tentacool resurfaced.

"Teach it a lesson Tangela!" Geri commanded. "Giga drain!"

Ash smirked as the attack hit. The green energy beam was tinged with purple as Tangela attempted to drain energy. Geri was perplexed as Tangela appeared even worse.

"Tentacool, finish it with another acid attack!" Ash commanded.

The attack made short work of the pure grass type, and Ash claimed the second round for himself.

"I don't get it." Geri mused, returning her stricken Pokémon.

"Liquid Ooze." Ash replied as he returned Tentacool. "An ability owned by a few poison types. Any attempt to steal energy results in damage."

"Very impressive." Geri smiled flirtatiously.

"We can move back up the beach now." Ash replied, moving down Gyarados' back and jumping into the surf.

* * *

"He looks like he's having a good time." Blaine commented as he walked alongside Misty towards Ash and the mysterious girl.

"Oh please." Misty huffed. "He's battling, of course he's having a good time."

"His opponent is quite the beach babe." Blaine replied. "Though not as beautiful as you, of course." Pikachu nodded in approval from his spot on Misty's shoulder, while Azurill squeaked positively from Misty's arms.

"Thanks Blaine, but my ego isn't damaged in that particular area." Misty replied, giggling at the Pokémon.

"Just checking." Blaine smirked.

The two approached as Ash was speaking to Gyarados with his back turned.

"Uh, hi…" The girl greeted awkwardly. "Can I help you? We're kind of battling here."

Gyarados suddenly roared and lowered its head towards its trainer affectionately, making Geri jump out of her skin.

"Hey sweetie." Misty cooed affectionately as she rubbed Gyarados' crest, smirking at the other girl as she did so.

"Hey Mist-" Ash began, whirling round to face her. "Wow…"

Geri frowned as Ash's eyes were drawn to the newcomer. While Geri had opted for a two-piece, this new girl was wearing a one-piece bathing suit and a sarong wrapped around her waist, and had shoulder length red hair.

Misty blushed ever so slightly at Ash's reaction, and smiled inwardly at his complete ignorance of the other beautiful girl stood next to him.

"Hey, are we battling or not?!" Geri demanded loudly.

"Oh, sorry." Ash muttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Gyarados, let's go!" Misty replied.

"Er, excuse me, I'm battling _him_." Geri replied, crossing her arms.

"Well he's using _our_ Pokémon." Misty replied. "So you can battle _me_ or forfeit."

The two had squared up to each other, allowing Blaine to approach Ash.

"Erm, what's going on Blaine?" Ash asked quietly, confused.

Blaine extended an arm around the younger man's shoulders, pulling him closer.

"You know how you forgot how to speak when you laid eyes on Misty?" The gym leader asked.

"Yeah…" Ash blushed.

"Well, this… is your reward." Blaine smirked.

* * *

"This is a one-on-one battle, no substitutions." Blaine announced as he stood in the middle of the makeshift battlefield.

"Fine." Geri spat.

"No problem." Misty smirked, eager to fight.

"Metang, I choose you!" Geri yelled, hurling what appeared to be a safari ball into the field.

The Iron Claw Pokémon emerged, ready for battle.

"Make me proud Gyarados!" Misty yelled, directing the Atrocious Pokémon into the field, watching it fly over her head before settling.

Gyarados stared down Metang to no effect. The steel-type's Clear Body prevented Intimidate from doing its work.

"Starting off pretty evenly then…" Misty muttered.

"Begin!" Blaine shouted from the sidelines. A small crowd had begun to gather around the battlefield, the sight of a Gyarados piquing the interest of a fair few people.

"Aqua tail!" Misty yelled.

"Bullet punch!" Geri yelled simultaneously.

Metang flew forward at incredible speed and began punching Gyarados repeatedly. The move wasn't very effective, but it rattled Misty.

"Gyarados, swat that hunk of metal away!" Misty yelled.

Her faithful Pokémon did just that, curling around once to gather momentum, then bringing its tail down to bear on Metang, sending it hurtling along the beach.

Metang tumbled and bounced along the sand, skidding to a halt, leaving a trough of sand in its wake.

"Don't give it room to move, hydro pump, now!" Misty ordered.

Gyarados forcefully fired a torrent of water at Metang. While Metang took the brunt of the attack, Geri was soaked also, much to Misty's delight.

"Metang, use Psychic, now!" Geri yelled, brushing her wet hair out of her eyes.

Gyarados was suddenly immobilised in mid-air as Metang righted itself. The steel type ascended vertically to come face to face with the dragon.

"Metang, build up a thunderpunch, nice and slow!" Geri grinned.

Electricty crackled around Metang's fist as it pulled back, preparing for its punch.

The crowd had grown massively since the start of the match, and Ash was starting to find himself being jostled by people. The members of the crowd collectively held their breath as the thunderpunch built in intensity.

"Mistake!" Misty yelled, with a pretty smile. "Let's heat things up Sweetie!"

Metang was utterly unprepared for the inferno that spewed from Gyarados' mouth, and was swept away in the tidal wave of flames.

By the time Gyarados stopped, Metang was dumped in the sand and glowing bright red.

"Metang is unable to battle." Blaine stated the obvious, as he watched the steam rise off the defeated Pokémon. "Gyarados and Misty are the winners!"

Gyarados roared victoriously as Misty beamed at Ash. The crowd were whooping and cheering at Misty's unexpected victory.

"Good match." Geri congratulated half-heartedly. "See you around."

Misty barely heard her. She was too busy being whirled around in Ash's arms.

"That was great!" Ash beamed, setting her down. "That could've gone all wrong, but you pulled through!"

"Thanks Ash." Misty smiled up at him.

"I hate to interrupt…" Blaine announced quietly as he approached the two. "But it looks like this crowd's going to get very loud and difficult to avoid."

"Good point, we need to get moving." Misty added.

"We do?" Ash asked. "I thought we were staying for a few days."

Misty and Blaine shared an uncomfortable look.

"There's been a change of plans." Blaine answered solemnly.

* * *

_A/N:_ _Squirtle grabbing that Krabby was inspired by Hulk vs Loki in 'The Avengers'... you know which scene I'm talking about!_


	5. Chapter 4

Chasing the Dream

Chapter 4

"This feels like a waste of time." Ash grumbled, watching the lure of his fishing rod bob up and down on the surface of the water.

"Nice to know how you feel about my favourite pastime." Misty replied huffily.

"Not fishing." Ash replied. "Catching these Pokémon and then releasing them."

"You only need to release Staryu and Magikarp." Misty reminded him. "And I only need to release Krabby. We're just playing by the rules."

"It's not a game." Ash began scornfully.

"It's a metaphor, deal with it." Misty replied quickly, feeling some resistance on her line. She heaved the line upwards to reveal a Krabby clutching at the lure. Misty hurled the crab onto the land and instantly threw a dive ball in its direction.

"There." Misty said triumphantly, picking up the ball. "I'm done. I choose you!"

Krabby emerged from the ball in a blinding flash of light. Misty clutched the open ball by each half and twisted sharply, snapping the ball into two halves. Krabby was suddenly cloaked in a blue light which dissipated quickly. When the release procedure was over, Krabby shuffled along to the shoreline and jumped back into the sea.

"Remember, Staryu and Magikarp." Misty reminded Ash. "And there's a pond on the way back to the hotel where you can catch and keep a Poliwag. We'll need a Poliwrath at some point, might as well do it now."

"Where are you going?" Ash queried as Misty began to move up the beach, Azurill snuggled tightly in her arms.

"The hotel. I'll make a start on getting our things in order." Misty replied.

* * *

"Did you get it?" Misty asked as Ash came through the door of the hotel room.

"One Poliwag." Ash replied, holding up an ordinary Pokéball. "Hi Blaine." He greeted.

"Greetings Ash." The white haired gym leader replied. "Misty says the two of you have caught four Pokémon already today. It's not even 8AM!"

"Yeah, and of those four we kept one." Ash scoffed. "What a waste of…"

Misty was looking at him angrily, arms crossed.

"Thermal clothes?" Ash began, looking intently at the checklist on the bed, changing the topic quickly.

"Check." Misty replied, locating the clothes amongst the items scattered on the bed.

"Grappling hook and launcher." Ash continued.

"With Blaine." Misty replied, pointing at the gym leader leaning in the corner of the room.

"Wetsuits."

"Check."

"Diving gear."

"Check."

"Medical kit."

"Check."

"Net balls."

"Case of 30."

"Dive balls."

"Case of 15."

"Emergency beacon."

"Charged and ready."

"Flare gun."

"Checked, with five flares. Pokédex?"

"Misty, please." Ash raised an eyebrow, patting the pocket over his chest.

"I know, I know." Misty replied with a dismissive wave. "Just checking."

Blaine opened the door, dragging a large bag in from outside.

"All that gear is fine, but I've brought some things to make your mission easier." Blaine strained as he heaved the bag through the doorway.

"Great!" Ash smiled. "What have you got?"

"First, these spiked cages for your climbing boots." Blaine announced, withdrawing two pairs of the metal contraptions. "They'll help your ascent – and trust me, you're going to need help."

"OK. What else?" Misty asked.

"Mobile PC system. I'll leave it in the bag." Blaine gestured. "It'll allow you to set up camp as soon as you get down there. It has a huge battery, but I've gotten hold of a solar power array and cables. It can act as a main hub for your wireless devices. I also got you earpieces and throat microphones for the climb"

"So this is what a Pokémon catching trip with a budget feels like, huh?" Ash mused.

"This is no catching trip." Blaine shook his head. "At least not yet. The League shipped all this stuff here for your mission to assist Sabrina. If you're successful though, I'm sure the League will let you hold on to it for a while."

"Well, we didn't need a reason to save Sabrina, but at least this is a nice benefit if we do." Misty added with a sad smile.

"There are some more things in the bag, but I'll brief you on the way." Blaine explained. "We need to set off while it's still daylight. You can't climb that thing in the dark. Are you ready?"

Ash and Misty shared a glance.

"Ready." They confirmed in unison, turning back to face Blaine.

* * *

"Wow…" Ash gasped at the sight of the Seafoam Islands.

It was something of an understatement. All four islands were not even visible under the massive cone of ice stretching into the sky, hundreds of feet high.

"We're already calling it Mount Seafoam." Blaine responded. "Though as its 100% ice, that isn't strictly true."

"Articuno really did this?" Misty asked quietly, equally awed.

"No-one saw it exactly, but it's our best explanation." Blaine replied. "Though, now you mention it, I suppose it really is an unbelievable display of power."

"How the hell are we going to climb that thing?" Ash asked incredulously.

"There's a huge hole about halfway up, that's shaped like an aeroplane hangar." Blaine explained. "Our best guess is that Articuno left it alone so it could fly in and out. It's certainly large enough. We're going to use the grappling hook."

"…What, hundreds of feet up?" Ash replied sarcastically.

"Trust me," Blaine began, withdrawing what looked like a rocket launcher from a case at the back of the boat, "Silph Co. has gone to great expense with this."

"What the hell is that?" Ash asked.

"SmartLauncher." Blaine replied. "Already programmed. This thing is more like a homing missile than a grappling hook. It's designed and programmed for boring into rock, so it should make short work of the ice. Sabrina's lucky that Silph wants their city gym leader back so much."

"We can't just fly up there?" Misty pondered aloud.

"Too risky." Blaine shook his head, tinkering with the device. "If a psychic type is responsible, sending a non-native Pokémon could tip them off to our presence before we even arrive."

"You've really thought this through, huh?" Ash replied.

"Not just me." Blaine shook his head. "Surge, Bruno and Lance helped me put the plan together. Should you fail, it's one or more of us that will be coming after you. Your timing couldn't have been better, because they're all on missions themselves. The destruction of your gym feels like the opening battle of a much larger war, Misty."

"Maybe the master quest should wait." Misty wondered aloud, shocked by the revelation.

"No, I wouldn't say that." Blaine shook his head. "We're just taking precautions. I'm going on my own mission as soon as I get back to Cinnabar. Plus, if this does turn into some kind of war, you'd be of great help to us as a type master."

"War?" Ash asked. "With who?"

"Team Rocket, who else?" Blaine replied. He handed the launcher to Ash. "Here hold this."

Blaine sat in front of the boat's controls once again, starting the engine and bringing the boat closer to the side of the mountain.

* * *

"It's snowing…" Misty noted softly, extending a hand to catch a snowflake.

"Hasn't stopped since the day the mountain appeared." Blaine informed her. "Suit up and get ready to climb."

Blaine grabbed a launcher-like device out of the bag, loading some kind of hook into it.

"What's that?" Ash asked, struggling to put his gloves on.

"Piton launcher." Blaine grinned, pressing the device against the ice. A loud, dull cracking sound filled the air as Blaine pulled the trigger. As Blaine pulled away, the cliff face now sported a metal mooring ring.

"Ash, run the first mooring line through that ring." Blaine ordered, moving up the boat. "I need to deploy a second before the boat drifts."

As soon as the boat was properly moored and steady, Blaine packed the piton launcher into a rucksack and gave it to Ash, who immediately hooked it around his arms and hoisted it on to his back.

"OK." Blaine continued, picking up the larger launcher and aiming upwards. "Let's hope Silph are as good as they say they are."

Ash, Misty and Pikachu nervously backed away as Blaine steadied his aim.

"Ready…" Blaine murmured. "Firing!"

The rocket sailed through the air with a whooshing sound as it flew vertically upwards, taking the unravelling line with it. As it disappeared, the line slackened, and the sound of drilling could be heard in the distance.

"OK, Misty, get ready, you're going first." Blaine ordered. "Ash, you're going directly after her. Are your earpieces ready?"

"Check. Why am I going second?" Ash asked curiously.

"If Misty's safety gear fails and she falls, you stand more of a chance of catching her than she does of catching you." Blaine replied solemnly. "Hopefully it won't come to that."

"Good luck." Ash turned to Misty. "I'm right behind you."

"You'll just take any opportunity you can to look at my butt, right?" Misty winked, clipping herself on to the line. Blaine chuckled as Ash turned bright red.

Misty clutched her ice picks and swung one over her head, digging into the ice. Testing the picks hold, she dug a boot in and began climbing.

Ash followed suit, testing the ice before leaping off. Pikachu scampered to the edge of the boat, ready to jump on to his back.

"No, Pikachu." Blaine said quickly. "Ash is carrying too much weight. You can go up with the gear."

Pikachu's ears drooped in response as he sighed.

"It's OK buddy, I'll see you at the top." Ash smiled, starting to climb after Misty. "Misty, can you hear me?"

"_Loud and clear." _Misty responded through the earpiece. _"How are you doing?"_

"Fine." Ash responded, digging one of his picks into the ice once again. "Bit worried that we're climbing on the same rope, I've only ever done this a couple of times before. If I fall, I could drag you down."

"_I'm sure we'll be fine. I recall you climbing some ridiculous things on our adventures."_ Misty replied, the sounds of her own picks swinging into the ice reverberating in the distance.

"Well, we can add artificial, inexplicable ice mountain to the list." Ash replied, straining to swing his picks once more.

"_My best guess is you're a quarter of the way to the entrance." _Blaine's voice suddenly chimed in over the comm. _"Keep at it."_

Ash frowned. This was going to be a long climb.

Misty panted and strained as she heaved herself over the ledge, collapsing onto the snow covered plinth.

"Ash… Blaine…" She panted. "I'm at the top."

"_I'm… right… behind… you…"_ Ash's strangled voice informed her. The pack was clearly weighing him down.

Misty crawled to the edge and looked down. The boat looked like a toy, some 300 metres below her, and Ash was clinging to the sheer face of the ice, his face red with exertion.

"Oh my God." Misty gasped. "Ash, can you make it?"

"_I'm fine."_ He replied, continuing his climb. The backpack was heavy enough, but he also had a pack trailing below him, fastened to him by multiple cords.

Misty watched anxiously as he approached, becoming more relieved the close he got to the top. He eventually got within arm's reach and managed to heave himself over the top with her help.

"Thank God." Ash panted, digging his heels into the ice and pulling the cords and pulling the pack on to the ledge. Exhausted, he laid out flat on his back, panting.

"Blaine, we're at the top." Misty informed the gym leader, holding the earpiece close.

"_Good work you two."_ Blaine replied. _"Rest up for a few minutes before you set up the winch."_

* * *

Misty leaned back into the snow, lying next to Ash. The sky was at that peculiar phase where there was still a red-orange glow, but the stars were starting to become visible.

"It's beautiful…" Misty sighed.

"_Not as beautiful as you…"_ Ash's voice replied softly over the throat mic.

Misty grinned.

"You know throat mics can pick up whispers right?" She whispered back.

"I do now." Ash replied breathlessly, struggling to get to his feet. "Let's get the winch working; we don't want Blaine to have to hang around for too long."

Ash and Misty heaved the last item over the edge of the cliff with the help of the winch.

"_OK you two, I need to head back to Cinnabar."_ Blaine's voice echoed over the comm. "_You're on your own. I'll make radio contact when I'm ashore."_

"Um… acknowledged?" Misty guessed at the appropriate response. She guessed the lack of response from Blaine meant she had responded correctly. The sound of the powerboat's engine roaring into the distance echoed over the waves.

"Pi…" A voice breathed out over her shoulder. Locking eyes with Ash, who had been busying himself installing some of the tech, they looked over at the source.

Pikachu looked very small next to the mouth of the entryway. He was shivering slightly, probably due to the cold, but Misty couldn't deny that the entryway itself was rather foreboding. The three crept to the very start of the entryway.

The floor was angled sharply downwards, the polished ice gleaming invitingly. Articuno had left this section to fly in and out of its self-made fortress, so the tunnel was wide enough to fly through.

However, if the group chose to slide down, they would be subjected to a 300 foot drop into the icy cold water below.

Needless to say, none of the group really fancied that idea.

"I've set up the winch to lower us down." Ash commented, turning back from the mouth of the tunnel to continue setting up the equipment. "We need to mount this communications dish, and connect and mount the solar panels to keep it running."

"It's wireless, right?" Misty asked, digging the panels out of one of the packs.

"Right." Ash replied. "As I understand it, we need to keep planting transceivers at strategic locations for us to be able to communicate with the outside world."

"You know a lot about this stuff all of a sudden." Misty commented, handing Ash one of the tools he required.

"I'm taking this seriously." Ash replied, fixing the miniature satellite dish to the ice. "Sabrina's life could be hanging in the balance. I've done my homework."

Misty watched as he worked away diligently, smiling slightly. She was proud of who he had become. He certainly wasn't a kid any more.

"OK," Ash said, more to himself than Misty or Pikachu, "solar array working, connected to… mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm."

"We ready?" Misty asked.

"Yeah." Ash replied. "The main pack containing the computer is waterproof and has a floatation device. We can send that flying down the tunnel and pick it up when we get down there."

"Done." Misty replied, sliding the pack down the tunnel. The splash made by its impact was a worryingly long time coming.

"It sounds a long way down…" Misty sighed worriedly.

"Pi…" Pikachu agreed.

Ash clipped himself to the cable and turned to his companions.

"I'm going down first." He replied. "You need to use the winch controls to lower me down slowly so I can place the transceivers."

"Aye-aye sir!" Misty beamed with a mock salute.

Ash rolled his eyes as he backed into the entryway, starting his abseil. He glanced over his shoulder into the darkness and couldn't suppress the shiver that ran up his spine.

"I'll take that as a sign that you're cold." Misty commented quietly.

"That's… not exactly a lie." Ash replied lamely, throwing himself into the darkness.


End file.
